Rivergate F.C.
| dissolved = | ground = 5-hour Energy Stadium | capacity = 22,800 | owner = Rivergate Football Club, Inc. | chairman = | manager = Gustavo Rizzi | coach = | currentleague = League A | currentposition = | lastseason = | lastleaguea = League A | lastposition = 6th | current = | website = | firstgame = | largestwin = | worstdefeat = | topscorer = | fansgroup = | honours = | American = }} Rivergate Football Club is a professional association football club based in Rivergate, Orleans Province, St. Gregory. The team plays in League A, the top tier of the St. Gregory Football Association. Rivergate F.C. is unique in that unlike a privately-owned club, it is a cooperative which is 100% owned by stockholders, the majority of whom are citizens of Rivergate. Rivergate Football Club, Inc. was established by the city in 1989 to oversee the birth of a professional club that would enter the SGFA the following year, along with the development of a stadium within five years. This community ownership has remained in place since, despite multiple offers from private bidders to buy the club in recent years. Rivergate have remained in League A since their first season in the top flight in 1997-98. They claimed their first major trophy in 2008 when they won the SGFA Cup Final, and won their maiden League A championship in 2012-13. They won the SGFA Cup for the second time in 2017, and are current holders of the SGFA Shield following their victory over Independence in the 2017 match. History The rapid growth of the SGFA's professional ranks in the 1980s – which saw the association grow from six clubs in 1979 to eighteen in 1989 – led many to point to the port city of Rivergate as a future expansion destination. The city, for its part, had spent the past two years courting potential investors to establish a professional club and build a stadium in Rivergate, but when none came, the community took matters into its own hands; inspired in part by the Green Bay Packers, the city set up a cooperative known as Rivergate Football Club, Inc., which would invite football fans from Rivergate and the surrounding communities to literally buy in to a new club they could call their own. While no taxes or levies were introduced by the city to support the club or the construction of a future stadium, the plan was still met with criticism from some in the community who felt that public money, however raised, could go to more meaningful services. Nonetheless, the group's initial public offering was bought into by no less than 18,000 residents as well as various other individuals and groups from around St. Gregory and worldwide. Rivergate F.C. was officially established on January 11, 1990, and was granted admission into the SGFA the same day; they would begin play in the newly-formed League C for its inaugural season. The team was an instant success and finished top of League C in their first year, earning promotion to League B at the first time of asking. In 1996-97, Rivergate finished as champions of League B and were promoted to the top flight for the first time; that same year, they reached the SGFA Cup Final against that year's League A champions, Bonneville United. Despite going down 2-0 in that game, reports of the game praised Rivergate's bravery against an opposition one division and many million dollars in budget above them. Stadium The team plays its home games in the 22,800-seat 5-hour Energy Stadium, which was first opened in 1994 using money raised by the community ownership. The stadium is noted for its bright yellow seats that match the team's shirts. Since 2017, "River" by Bishop Briggs has been the team's entrance music before home games. Colors, crest and nickname Rivergate's club color is officially yellow, taken from the city flag, which in turn is symbolic for a flag displayed by a healthy ship entering port. The team played its first four seasons in all yellow kits before changing to black shorts in the 1994-95 season, in order to distinguish themselves from FC Chapman. Black and blue became official secondary and tertiary club colors the following year when the crest was redesigned for the first time. The team has been nicknamed The Goldfish since its first season, a nickname given by reporters due to the predominantly yellow kits and the city's fishing industry. The redesigned crest in 1995 was the first to actually incorporate a goldfish before a new crest took its place in 2010, featuring a gold-colored fish designed to represent a combination of several different species native to the area. Kits The club's uniforms are currently supplied by Adidas. The shirt sponsor is 5-hour Energy, who also hold naming rights to the club's home ground, 5-hour Energy Stadium. Rivalries :Main article: Rouge River derby As the only professional club in their city, Rivergate lacks an intra-city rival, although two nearby rivals exist along the Rouge River basin: Forest United and Midland International, who are the closest of the two opponents geographically. The three sides' collective rivalry is known as the Rouge River derby. The Midland-Rivergate side of the derby was played in League A every season from 1997-98 to 2016-17, except for 2015-16 during which Midland were in League B. Midland were relegated again in 2016-17 and the sides have not met in any competition since. A competitive rivalry has emerged in recent years with Bonneville United. With Rivergate and Bonneville less than 50 miles apart on St. Gregory's south coast, United (as well as their neighbors New Castle) matches in Rivergate are well attended by away fans, and vice versa, particularly as recent matches between the sides have been hotly contested. Bonneville United and Rivergate contested the 1997 SGFA Cup Final (River's last-ever match as a League B club), won 2-0 by United, and 2017 SGFA Cup Final, won by River in a penalty shootout, and they swept the top two places in League A in both 2012-13 (when Rivergate were champions) and 2017-18 (when United were champions). Women's team Rivergate also operate a women's football team, Rivergate W.F.C.. They have been affiliated to the men's team since their foundation in 2016 and play in Women's League A. Players Current squad : As of August 31, 2019 Note: Players without a flag are from St. Gregory. Players with an asterisk (*) are from outside the United States or its territories, or have represented a non-U.S. territory at international level, but hold either citizenship or permanent residency in the U.S. and thus do not count towards the league cap on foreign players. Out on loan Retired numbers : 15 – Blake Ritter, midfielder (2011–2014) (posthumous) Reserves and Academy :Further information: Rivergate F.C. Reserves and Academy Former players :Further information: Category:Rivergate F.C. players Honors * League A: 1 :Champions: 2012-13 * League B: 1 :Champions: 1996-97 * League C: 1 :Champions: 1990-91 * SGFA Cup: 2 :Winners: 2007-08, 2016-17 * SGFA Shield: 3 :Winners: 2008, 2013, 2017 Category:Rivergate F.C. Category:Club pages